Gull spectacular, Oxenhope, Members Only

                       Gulls galore

                                   Oystercatcher taking a dip

                                                    LBBs

                                             juv LBB

                                    Curlew over the water

            gulls in the dark skies

                All flushed and up in the air

                                                 LBB

               Herring gull  left.

          This is the culprit that flushed them
                             juv Heron

                    Getting mobbed with LBB

Oxenhope Reservoir  1700-1800 hrs  cool N >4 visibility Thornton church  . Heavy rain throughout.
Windy Corner.
Another evening of ideal reservoir watching conditions although what I thought was going to be a shower turned into continuous rain which got heavier and heavier until it got to torrential for the last 30 minutes watch. I,d decided to set my stall up on Windy Corner rather than walk on to the hide due to lack of time so consequently I came away like a drowned rat.
                                The gulls were very distant from my position but scopeable managing to sort out 16 Herring gulls and a surprise of 2 Commons which is rare at this time of year. No other small gulls present.
Disappointing not to get any exotics through or on the water but its early yet with the show starting mid July.
Well worth a drenching to see such a display of big gulls.

500 + LBB gull
16 Herring gull
2 Common gull
4 Curlew
3 Oystercatcher
Plenty Swift and Swallow moving through >N.
+ usual sp.
BS